The present embodiments relate to user interfaces for medical imaging. In particular, medical imaging systems are adjusted based on user input.
User interfaces for medical diagnostic imaging systems may include tens of button inputs. For example, many medical imaging systems are controlled with QWERTY keyboards and pointer input devices, such as associated with a personal computer or workstation. As another example, many medical imaging systems include system specific buttons, such as an ultrasound system including both QWERTY keyboard and ultrasound specific buttons, knobs and sliders. Touch screens have allowed medical imaging systems to provide for programmable or soft buttons, allowing some reduction in dedicated inputs or limiting use of the QWERTY keyboard.
To operate the medical imaging system, the user may need knowledge of many specific buttons or functions assigned to general buttons. For example, medical diagnostic ultrasound systems may include a transducer array, a transmit beamformer, a receive beamformer, a B-mode detector, a Doppler detector, a signal processor, a scan converter, and one or more filters. A user obtains the optimal image by setting the transmit waveform, scan pattern, mode setting, depth, gain, brightness, frame rate, level of filtering, type of filtering, and other types of parameters. User selectable menus and button combinations configure the imaging systems with settings for many different imaging parameters.
Programmable display based buttons or preset groupings of parameter settings may simplify user input by more conveniently identifying settings appropriate for a current configuration. However, programmable display buttons may still require specific knowledge about the corresponding operation of the imaging system. Users may find operating the medical imaging system even more difficult during actual imaging, such as during real-time ultrasound imaging.
Further inputs are provided for measurements. In addition to optimizing the system for imaging, distance, area or volume measurements may be desired for diagnosis. The user operates even further controls to trigger the measurements. For example, the user operates a button to indicate a distance measurement. The user then selects two locations on a displayed image, and the system determines the patient relative distance between the two locations.
User control may be more difficult for smaller imaging systems. For example, handheld ultrasound imaging devices may have less space for user controls and displayed soft buttons. A more hierarchal menu structure may be provided, resulting in increased navigation time to configure or adjust imaging.